“I just said, what are you guy’s doing? And they started running and it was scary,” she said.

Those are just some of the problems that remain a focus for King County judges and the County Council.

“This is a citadel of justice,” said Seattle Police Capt. Tom Mahaffey. “People need to feel safe coming and going from here.”

During Tuesday’s hearing, a committee heard from judges and law enforcement – some saying a portion of the 18,000 jurors who are required to show up to the courthouse each year refuse to come, fearing for their safety.

“If people don’t feel safe coming and going from here, the streetscape is threatening the people, then we still have work to do,” said Mahaffey.

Since 2017, the county also built a reporting system for employees and jurors to document incidents that don’t rise to the level of a crime. Some are asking officials to install brighter lighting and even plan events at the park next door to discourage people from behaving badly.

Officials are also considering spending a couple hundred thousand dollars on bullet-resistant windows – and possibly opening a second secured entryway into the courthouse for jurors and staff.